Streets of Rage: The Flames of Angels
by Mr. Crimson
Summary: As one recovers from a horrific ordeal, they don't realze how deep this thing will truly go. One of many new characters intro'ed :-)
1. Letter

Title: Streets of Rage: The Flames of Angels  
Genre: Action/Drama  
Rating: R for language, adult content, violence, and (minor) sexual situations to come.  
A/N: This story takes place years after the third Streets of Rage, with major changes and new characters as well. There might be minor details that I'm not clear on, but I'll work with all the info I know is true. As for writing this, it may be hard since I'm working with people that didn't really have personalities at all, so that's why I'm giving them some, and hope they do justice to those familiar with the original characters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it :)   
  
  
Disclaimer: Like hell do I own the SoR characters! They belong to Sega (or maybe Nintendo now), and no one else. The only people that are mine will be revealed in due time. Until then, read on! :)   
  
  
  
Blaze,   
I don't know if this letter will ever get to you, but if it does, you must take heed of every piece of it. I must keep it short, and everything I have to tell you will be revealed, but only if you meet me tonight at 7:00 p at our table. Don't be late, and tell no one you're here. If I'm not there, just know that I love you all, and I'll see you soon.   
Love always,  
Axle   
  
  
It had been five years since she had last seen the man behind the letter, and with every moment of her day after reading the e-mail, she wanted so badly for everyone to come home and reunite in any way. But everyone had moved so far off from the city, it'd be a surprise if they could make it back for any reason, even to reminisce about the multiple times they saved the city, if not the people that gave their lives to do so.   
  
Marcus "Max Thunder" Kingston had made a star of himself overseas in the wrestling circuits there, making millions in doing his lifelong dream, and even being involved in the Japanese film industry. Though most of his films were, for lack of better words, "colorful", Max still had fun with it, and everyone was proud of his success.   
Adam Hunter, a former police officer like Blaze, had already found a wife and foster child to attend to back in Georgia. He decided to return there after his father, a former officer himself, was failing in health, which was how he met his wife, Dr. Melissa Caronella. Adam's younger brother, Edward (or in his youth, nicknamed "Skate") was in his sophomore year in high school, living with Adam and searching for an apprenticeship in computer maintenance. He'd still take to rollerblades on the off time, but he was more serious about his future than most kids his age.   
As for the humanoid known only as Dr. Zan, he was long pardoned for his role in the Syndicate X, by taking it down with those mentioned, but what he's done with himself after that is as much of a perplexity as Zan himself. The same went for Shiva, who also worked both sides of the inner city war, first as Mr. X's strongest and most skilled right hand man, then as an estranged surrogate partner in the "Third Syndicate War."   
Finally, Axle Stone, Blaze's best friend and former officer in the same precinct as her and Adam. He appeared literally from the blue with this brief letter, ready to meet under what felt to be a disturbing circumstance. Blaze could tell that it was Axle. Every word of the letter defined his brief, serious tone, and rescinded her thought of him being an imposter. However, something about this night felt different to her. Something that she had to take care of, no matter what the circumstances (ulterior or not) were. Blaze prepared by slipping into more relaxed clothing, made up of black cargo pants and a burgundy short sleeve tee shirt. She finished the outfit with her brown knee-high boots, which were custom made to hide two six-inch knives on each boot.   
Once she was ready to put her black leather jacket on, she saw something hung in her closet that she didn't know whether to bring with her or not. It was her chrome .357 Magnum, fully licensed, but not loaded, just in case someone got their hands on it. Blaze sighed as she strapped the holster on, for she hoped that she wouldn't have any need for it, especially since she was going to see an old friend. Considering how urgent the letter seemed, protection might be a viable choice, even if it didn't prove any justice in the end.  
  
It was only five minutes until 7:00, and Blaze had already parked by where Axle had implied to meet in the letter. The place was called Remo's, a small time diner run by a stand-up family for over twenty years, which doubled as a meeting place for Blaze, Adam, and Axle when they were off duty during their, as they liked to call it, "Days of Blue." They still met there after they quit, only under highly different circumstances. However, the very details Blaze remembered from Remo's time of activity were no longer there, due to a fire that rocked the entire building just five months ago, killing five and injuring seven. It was like looking into an alternate realm for Fielding, as she gazed at the charred building from the outside, and what remained of it's neon front sign, and decorations of paraphernalia from various eras. It was all a dark reminder of how time sees the genesis of many, but only after it destroys something in its way.  
  
As Blaze closed her eyes and let a tear seep through, a voice to her right asked, "Don't you wish they could do something about this place? Restore it, make anew...I mean, come on...people lost various forms of virginity here." Blaze didn't have to look to the side to know whose voice it was, as she spoke, "Axle...it's been so long since we all got together and...now look at it. Why here?" "I didn't know it would be like this," Axle said, "especially since we and half the city claimed in to be a sanctuary." He then came into his friend's view; his clothes consisted of a matching black shirt and cotton-collared jacket, and brown pants tucked in his black combat boots. The two hugged each other, with Axle's arms sliding under Blaze's jacket to feel her tone, lovely body. Once they pulled away, Blaze remarked, "Nice outfit." "You get what you pay for, Hun," he said, "but in all seriousness, let's get to why I'm here."   
"Yeah, really. What's wrong," Blaze wondered.  
Axe looked around for anything out of place, before he looked towards Blaze and began. "Word has been going around about the 'resurrection' of your favorite organization and mine."  
Blaze let out a deep sigh, as Axle, who empathized, continued. "There's a twist to it all, though. There's a new person headlining the op, but no one knows who it is...yet. What we do know is that some old confidantes of X have been disappearing big time. Gangs, Fortune 500 companies, you name it, they were with Syndicate...until they apparently crossed the new guy. " "And how did you stumble on all of this," Blaze asked. Axle smiled and answered, "All this time I've been away, I decided that since employment in the police force wasn't a good call since our last one was on Syndicate payroll...." He pulled his wallet out, as it flapped out and showed an ID of FBI detail.   
As he put his ID away, Blaze finished his last remark, "You decided to join an organization more corrupt than our old Precinct." "Yes," he jokingly answered, "but at least I'm not those fake ones we had to take care of last time. It's like anyone who wears fake sunglasses and can still fit in their prom tux thinks they pilot the Nebuchandezzar, too." Blaze laughed, not realizing until that point how much she missed Axle's interesting sense of humor. She replied, "At least I know why you haven't been in contact, but we should tell the others. I got...." "They're being taken care of as we speak," assured Axle, "and since I'm head of the investigation, I've told my colleagues to give them full security, fearing that the new boss might take out any plans to handle anyone unfriendly towards them, past or present. I figured that I'd tell our 'unofficial' leader first hand before...you hear that?"   
Their words were immediately cut down by the sounds of distant motorcycles closing in on their location, as the two pulled out their guns and looked around for them to come. Blaze glanced at Axle's gun, which he quickly identified for her. "Thunder Ranch Special, fueled by special magazines. I got a Millenium Protector, too, but whatever." "Never figured you as the gun type," Blaze said with a smile. "Likewise," replied Stone, just before three bikers appeared in their sight at the furthest corner of the street, accelerating in a triangular formation. The helmeted black and yellow riders looked heavily armed, yet lightly padded with bulletproof armor, ready to take anything they'd be given, for there was a very good reason they neglected any protection.   
The front biker popped on his back wheel, and without second thought, Blaze pushed Axle out the way and took clear shots at his back wheel, and forced the stupefied biker backwards to the ground, with a portion of the bike landing directly on his chest and crotch. The remaining two kept their focus, as they unsheathed a kusanagi from their backs. The duo ran out their way, landing on opposite sides of the street, and after the assassins drove past them, Blaze and Axle got back out and aimed for them, as she asked, "Looks like they're getting to us first, huh?" "Without our fearless leader, a team's up shit's creek," he answered, "but since I'm here, it's double prizes."   
At that point, the bikers had turned and were coming for a second run. As Blaze looked at them and prepared to fire, Axle stood back to back with her and watched as more came from the remaining two's original location. Blaze felt a slight bulge in her back, when she turned to Axle and saw how close he was, swearing that his hand drew away from her butt. Before she could acknowledge the action, the two began to fire at the bikers, and to their amazement, each bullet was cut in half by their blades. The two coming towards Axle went as far as going on the sidewalk to avoid hitting their still fallen partner, then back on the streets with professionalism in their maneuvering through the parked cars. The two friends had no other choice but to run on the sidewalk once more, and run as far as they could from the maniacal bikers. They saw their targets run into the narrow alleyway, but it wouldn't stop their pursuit. "Three, attend to our fallen," said the group leader in its comm. link, "Two and Six are with me." With the rev of their engines, the chance continued for the lives of long lost friends, as ordered by the clans' most surprising of leaders. 


	2. Fall

The huffing of both Blaze and Axle was much understood, as they stopped their run within the lower reaches of a garage parking lot, hoping to hide there while Axle called for backup. Once he did so on his cell phone in code, he looked towards Blaze, whose face looked towards the ceiling, and chest heaved in and out for his slight enjoyment. "Damn," he said. "What," Blazed forced to ask in her returning breath. "I never noticed how much of you there was for Adam to love," Axle answered. "It was only for a few months," she remarked, "and besides, he's married now. But let's fast forward to the guys that blocked our bullets with their swords, please?"   
"Yeah, sorry," Stone apologized as he checked his magazine, "those were the Hornets. In less than six months after coming on the scene, they became to high rollers as the golden arches are to Richard Simmons hopefuls. Aside from the high tech look and Ninja cycles, they're just like what Mister X used to have for himself." "Killers for hire," Fielding guessed as she reloaded, "but how are they that skilled to pull the stunts?" "Let's team up on one to find out," her partner suggested, just as they could hear the same bikes coming for them again.   
The three Hornet members seemed to come from the very darkness of the garage, as they came from enough sides to disorient their target's movement, and trap them between parked cars. One got off their bike and approached Blaze with their sword ready to cut her down, but she quickly kicked the sword out his hands, then caught him in his chest with an elbow before a kick, and knocked him into his parked bike. Another closest to Axle attempted to stab him, but Stone twisted his arm behind him, and chopped the same arm hard enough to break the Hornet's elbow, and finished off with a powerful chop to the biker's throat. The third one, "Six", looked at "Two" getting up, and "Leader Four" possibly down for the duration, before he decided to get back on his bike and try to run the two over.   
Blaze rolled on the back of the car to avoid the onslaught, as Axle jumped up to grab a sturdy pipe and hang on it while he kicked the Hornet member straight into his helmet. The bike fell into the side of another car, which set its alarm off. Blaze, after getting off the car, looked to the alarm-set one and wistfully remarked, "Protected by Viper (c)? Yeah, like anyone here cares anymore." Just then, "Two" got off his feet and kicked his sword off the ground and to his hand, catching Blaze and Axle's attention as he seemed to have what the others lacked, that being skill. The two backed into more open space as the man gave chase, while without warning, Six and Four were back on their feet, emanating the same presence of power within them. "Looks like they were playing with us the whole time," Axle realized. "Not like we were putting effort in what we just did," Blaze added, just as the three split up to break the duo down.   
  
Axle reunited with "Four", who repaired his arm with a sound that resembled bionics in his elbow, while Blaze was already well into her battle with the other two. "Great!" "What," Blaze yelled to her friend. "I don't think these guys are human, that's what," Axle screamed, just as he began to fight with the Hornet Leader, blocking his first attacks before seeing the opening to jab the leader in their stomach, then punching his helmet which cracked the tinted visor. The confirmed machine returned fire by turning its body while backhanding Axle in the face, then kicking him in the stomach and uppercut into the back of a car. Axle flipped onto his feet so he could jump off the car and over the mechanized biker. As the leader turned around, it saw Axle's foot kick him square into the head, this time breaking the helmet visor completely off. Smoke poured out the headpiece, as the machine-like mutant sounded as if he choked to death.   
  
Blaze, meanwhile, was being fully tested by the other Hornets, as she almost on the more receiving end of the pain. As she countered and blocked every move she could, Blaze could tell that Axle was right. That such scrawny thugs could posses so much strength plagued her mind to the point where she repeatedly lost focus of the fighting. Once she got off her back one last time, she knew it was time to instill the lethal infliction that made her the literal scourge to the underworld.   
The Hornets were taken out in blinding speed by Blaze's powerful kicks to one's head and the other's ankle, but they returned with varied double attacks. Blaze didn't fall this time, but once she pushed one away, she immediately went for the crotch of the remainder, before twisting to sweep kick the biker. The Hornet managed to jump over the kick, only to be met with a powerful uppercut to its helmet visor, finally falling to its knees. The last Hornet speared her to the ground, and before it could stab her straight into her heart, a shot from the distance fired and went into the Hornet's arm. Sparks shot out the wound, but gave Blaze the chance to push the biker away. Once she rolled off the ground, she pulled out her Magnum and fired three times; twice in its chest to immobilize the killer, and the last dead on to its visor.   
As the Hornet died in front of her, Blaze looked to where the other shot came from, as she asked Axle, "Were you waiting for my to scream for help or something?" "Yeah, kinda'," he smiled, as Blaze forced a look of ill-amused nature. "Glad to still see you got the moves, though," Axle complimented. "Actually, since I reopened the dojo, it's been a while since I've seen a good fight," she replied as she got on her feet again. "You call having your life threatened by stronger oppositions a 'good fight'," he asked. "The best fights are the ones that you have something worth fighting for, and in this case, it was to continue living," Blaze mentioned, "besides, when you still teach dance, you're always ready to move around."   
"Even if you're weighed down by your C-cups," asked Axle.  
She looked to him with agitated eyes, "Is that all you see in me? A deadly chimera of intellect, beauty, and T-and-A?"  
"Tell no one."  
They both laughed, before a powerful hand turned around Axle on his shoulder, and within a matter of seconds, sounds of an automatic ripped through the air. Blaze screamed at the sight of Axle absorbing each shot through his vest into his chest and through his organs. Blood was coughed out his mouth and onto his clothes, some even sprayed onto the fourth Hornet that awaited his chance. Axle's body fell to the ground knees first, and the Hornet pointed his Uzi towards Blaze, as the last of her Magnum's rounds made sure he couldn't fulfill the end of its deal.   
Despite the fatal shots it took, the Hornet was able to squeeze the trigger as it fell to the ground. The last few bullets spread to hit Blaze deep in the arm and side, as she tried and failed to avoid the ordinance, and hit her head on a nearby car in the process. Blaze, without doubt, fell in pain as she looked to Axle's dying body, but one of the dead Hornet's bodies lied mostly in her way. Before she passed out in a cold unconsciousness, she could've sworn that she saw Axle smile, as he died right then to her fading eyes. 


	3. The Fan

__

"Miss Fielding? Can you hear me? Blaze…?"

The blurry images came into better focus, despite the bright halogen lights from above what had to be her hospital bed. Blaze could barely make out what could only be medical equipment, as she heard the hustling of doctors, nurses, and anyone in between just outside her room. As she felt the cotton sheets and pillowcase, Blaze began to feel more relaxed, but could only wonder whom the man that sat beside her was. In her laid position, she could only see the man from the waist up, who had designer street wear on, with bright skin, short, dirty blonde hair to the top of his ears, and brown eyes that looked young. Blaze, still in wonder, decided to answer his question first, as the young man repeated, "Can you hear me?" 

"Yeah," she said, "where am I?" 

"St. Dara's Medical, a couple blocks from your old precinct. Miss it much?"

"Yeah, right," Blaze replied, "It's easy to continue loving what was being controlled by what we were paid to fight against." The young man took a drink from his brand name coffee cup, before he said, "Those days are over, Miss Fielding." 

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"Whether you do or not, the truth still stands," he continued, "those crooked cops were, and still are an embarrassment that had to be dealt with in swift ways. Your former captain, David Somerset, was the biggest example."

"I know," she reminisced, "prisoners have few similarities, and one of 'em is hatred towards crooked cops. However, no matter how much they say they hate 'em, criminals have closet respect for the law that stopped 'em cold." Blaze sat up from her bed, and looked around the room of white and shades of blue, as she continued her speech. "For them, to see a bent cop is like a kid seeing their childhood hero do something against their morals. Like Captain Liberty supporting Communism. They must be having a field day with him in the 'brig'." 

"If only you knew."

Silence came between the two, as the man thoroughly looked at Blaze in her smock, while she looked down at her bandaged arm, as she saw the scarlet bloodstains from where the bullet was removed. She finally looked towards him, when she asked one of many important questions. 

"Who are you?"

"Detective Terry Scotton," he introduced, "I transferred from Carpenter a couple of hours ago, and already I got a case here. Who knew it'd involve a surviving legend like you?"

"Surviving," Blaze repeated in awe, when the immediate flashback made her ask, "Axle…where is he?"

"He…he was…"

"What?"

"DOA."

"No…" Blaze shook a little, a sign of holding back her tears. She continued to look down as she took glances at Terry, who talked just a little more.

"We looked over the murder weapon. It's an undistinguished semi-auto popper gunrunners are calling Stingrays. They're powered with some illegal parts all over and, get this, fueled by razor-tipped bullets."

"The hell?"

"Exactly. The bullets match those that have been uprisin' around here since last year, way before I realized this precinct would be cursed by my debut. Gangs of all shapes and sizes are trying to get their hands all over 'em, since the Stingrays are supposedly lightweight, and stealthy on metal detectors, bullets too. The combo of that weapon, and those bullets being fired at so close of range, 'point blank' doesn't describe it…your partner…he didn't stand a chance. I'm sorry."

Blaze looked at him with iniquity. 

"Did you kill him?"

Terry asked, "Excuse me?"

"You didn't kill 'em, so save your apologies for the perps that piss your trigger finger off."

Blaze tried to hold the tears even more, but some drops seeped out enough to let Terry give her a soft tissue to wipe them away. "I read a lot about you guys when I was a little younger," Terry started, "it was fun to see that there were people openly going in to take out those guys that made life rough for those families trying to earn their mark in this fucked up town. It's why I joined academy, to feel that sense of justice, to get into the game while it was still clean…or so I thought. To read about your exploits, status, and other things…I treated you guys like freakin' rock starts an'…shit. Hell, I even used to dress up like Axle, y'know? White Tee shirt, tight ass blue jeans, the whole thing. " Blaze was caught smiling as Terry did the same. Blaze then began to talk about him as well.

"H…he was such a comedian, sometimes. Always looking at the bright side of any situation. Adam an' I…we weren't too cool on it, but it eventually rubbed off. However, when…when it came to the Syndicate War, he was there on all levels. He made sure ass was kicked and names were taken. I swear he loved it…the thrill of being a vigilant legend. No, I remember him saying that he did love it…as much as he used to say he loved me…" More silence filled the room, minus the medical staff and telephones from the reception desk, until Terry brought up something else. 

"We also checked out Mister Stone's ID. Glad to know he moved up. With this situation, those G-Dicks are gonna' tear us apart. For now, the only thing I'm concerned about is why you were there?"

Just then, the door to Blaze's room opened, revealing a small man in police uniform with tanned skin and a thin moustache, possibly Hispanic. 

"Scottie," he said, "hate to break your wedding up, but captain wants you on the phone." "I'll be back to that question later," he said after a sigh. As he got up, Blaze didn't realize how tall he was, at least 6'2". Just before the squeaking door closed, the uniformed one took a quick glance at her one more time. Blaze knew where he was really looking, as she groaned in anger while lying down, "I look like shit and I'm still getting looks? That's it, I need a reduction." 

"What you need is to get out of here," spoke a deep, calm voice. 

Blaze shot up, despite the pain that came from doing so, and saw someone new in her room. He was tall, with a small Goatee that was trimmed to match with his this moustache, almost like the Hispanic cop from earlier. The stranger was also slightly built, mulatto skin tone, and he wore a leather jacket, black denim pants, with a blue velvet shirt that almost glistened in the halogen lights. As he rubbed his head through his dreads, the towering figure was about to speak. "Who are you," Blaze asked. "Don't be afraid, I'm not the enemy. But if it were a couple of months back…" 

"What do you want," she asked.

"Your help. The only way we can stop 'em is to get there before the next sunrise. Otherwise, we won't have to worry about this city's cold winters anymore. _Shit_…I'll talk with you later."

"Wait, who are you," she yelled, as he ran out the room seconds before a male nurse came in to give her food. As the nurse greeted Blaze, she sunk back into her sheets and prayed for a fast sleep. 

Rain began to trickle down the sky, as it was the only noise heard within an alley just minutes away from the St. Dara's. At an intersection of the alleyway stood three people, each with similar black hats and overcoats, as they partially embraced the disturbingly pleasant cold. The height of each one was clearly different, where the shortest was the 5'6" male, and the tallest was a 6'4"female. Without any more time to waste, the leader, who stood in-between at 5"10, broke the silence.

"So, he made contact with her, right?" "He's been exposed for days now. I wouldn't be surprised if he did," answered the short one. The female asked in her British accent, "_What of the prototype?_" "We'll let him live for now," replied the leader, "It hasn't told her anything yet, if they met already." "And what do we do with the ninja," asked the short one. The leader was silent for a moment, until he said, "We'll deal with him later, but if he becomes a problem, bets are off. Right now, we need those disks back before the deadline. 'Til then, you got your methods of mayhem. Use 'em, but don't kill the girl. Not yet." "_Got it_," said the female, as she threw her hand into the air, and a black thread came from within her sleeve. Once it got hold of a rooftop closest to the ground, she was pulled away.

"Sometimes, I hate it when she shows off," said the leader. "Come on, Eien. She's just glad to have a new chance at life. Even if it is as a machine." "LaVey, are you damning your re-birthright," Eien asked. "No, not until I die like this, and it may not be for a long time," LaVey remarked, as he jumped away into the darkness, leaving his boss behind in the rain, which was to his advantage. 

"Boss, did you hear all that," Eien asked. 

"_Yes, of course_," answered a rougher British voice from a communicator link, "_and I gather all the actors are set?_" "Yes, sir," he answered with joy, "and if all goes well, the curtains to this divine comedy will close as soon as they were opened." 


End file.
